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ANCHORAGE, Alaska — For Bill and Dorothy Fry, winemaking is more than just an obsession: what started as a hobby in garage has fermented into a successful business.

The couple owns and operates Bear Creek Winery and Lodging in Homer, which combines luxurious lodging with an extensive winemaking operation.

The winery serves virtually every berry and grape-based fermented concoction imaginable, each with an Alaska twist. Examples include black raspberry, gooseberry and Blu Zin (a mix of blueberries and White Zinfandel).

A trio of environmental groups filed an appeal May 26 to a permit allowing the Alaska Railroad Corp. to spray herbicides on some segments of its railways.

The appeal was filed by Alaska Survival, Alaska Community Action on Toxics and Cook Inletkeeper.

In April 2010, the state Department of Environmental Conservation issued a permit that allowed the railroad to spray herbicides along select portions of a 90-mile segment between Seward and Indian, in addition to a couple of other areas, said Bob Blankenburg, who manages the department’s solid waste and pesticide programs.